Essential matte box filters survey

Cavision has decent pricing on 4x4 glass filters. These are the three that we shoot with the most:

1. Polarizer,
2. .9 Neutral Density (3 stops)
3. .6 Graduated Neutral Density (from 2 stops to 0 stops)

The graduated ND was used for the caboose, falls shot and most of the sky stuff in this clip. The polarizer was used for the fall shots (mist going by trees) and really helped to richen the green hues by cutting glare.
 
Hi Ben:

If you think about it, there are very few reasons to use traditional filtration anymore, save for exposure control. Dennis is on the right path here.

1. Polarizer - there is no way in post to enhance what your camera does not capture. You need a polarizer for daylight exteriors. It reduces glare and haze, brightens and enhances colors and makes skies look amazing. It also cuts down on glass and water reflections.

2. ND Grads - Very helpful for shooting landscapes, once again. I personally use a .6 ND grad and a .9 ND grad although it can be nice to have a full range of the them, but of course expensive. Personally, I like the soft edged grads but some prefer the hard edged ones, especially for telephoto shots.

3. NDs - Normally I would say, that's what your camera's built-in ND filters are for but sometimes you need even more than 1/64th. Normally you can also increase shutter speed to reduce light but if you are using a 35mm adapter, you are limited to how high you can set shutter speeds, lest the rotating or vibrating ground glass patterns become apparent. In these case, you need full frame ND filters.

All other filters seem to pretty much be replicatable using post techniques. I particularly like the 55mm plug-ins although there are literally thousands of creative lens plug-ins on the market to choose from.

Back in the day, we used to use a stocking behind a lens or a black or white pro-mist or a soft-con but honestly, if the client doesn't like the look and it was shot that way, you are hosed. If you do it in post and the client doesn't like it, its pretty easy to fix.

Best,

Dan
 
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Ditto-

Must Haves:
- Polarizer
- Full Set of ND's
- Full Set of ND Grads (Hard and soft edge)

Would be nice to have:
- Black Promist

If you still have money to spend- Special FX:
-Blue Grad (make skies bluer)
-Orange Grad (make skies orange)
-Green Grad (Turn a brown field green)
-Full set of coral filters (Warms up the picture)
 
BTW, it's really easy to make your own color effect filters/grads in Photoshop for use in FCP. For my doc a few years ago, we created about 10 kinds of colored grads. Free, except for our time to create them. Also easier to create custom horizon shapes, pretty much all you get on real filters are straight cuts whereas in Photoshop, it's pretty easy to make a custom matte in the shape of you horizon.

Another factor you may not be aware of in your quest. Most matte boxes use at least 4x4" filters. A cheap 4x4" pola is around $200.00. Add in ND grads at about $185.00 ea. and you are into some serious bucks here.

Dan's cheap filter tip of the day:
I have actually had good luck with the Cokin Z-Pro series ND grads. About $65.00 versus $190.00 for glass ND grads. The Z-Pro pola mystifyingly costs $300.00???? Which is insane since you can get a Formatt or Schneider for about $220.00 for a circular with the Schott White Water glass. Who would buy a $300.00 Cokin filter? So I went for the Formatt with the Schott Glass but for the ND grads, the Cokins are perfectly serviceable and cost about 1/3 of the price of glass NDs. Of course you do have to be more careful not to scratch them but they do the trick.

Dan
 
Dan,
On the last thread you were using Cokin P's. Did you get the Cokin Z-Pro adapter ring holder also or just the filters.
I have glass filters and have been wondering whether that cheap little Cokin adapter will hold my 4x4glass filters.

My reading about Cokin filters on the web is that they are not very good optically so I would be wary of using them in HD.
Similarely I've seen questiosn raised about the Cavisions. There are some threads out there where one guy says they suck and somebody else says they are fine so. Optical quality is important in HD though so I'm wary of something too cheap.
 
Thanks for the input. I just got a 4x4 matte box, and with the Letus coming I may unload my 82mm round pola and .9nd grad in favor of 4x4's.

I try to buy once and buy well; that said, Schneiders or Formatts are what you all are diggin'? How about Tiffen? B+W?
 
Hi Leni:

I am using the Cokin filters in a professional matte box and in a Cokin filter holder. I have been shooting HD and stills with Cokin for years. To me, optically they are fine. There is some small amount of degradation no matter which filter you use, all filters are a distortive addition.

You cannot image though anything including air, atmosphere, smoke, fog, smog and dust without distortion so a filter is just one more thing. IMHO, I doubt if many viewers could tell the difference between a Cokin resin ND filter and a Schneider glass one, although I have not done blind A/B tests. If I could afford to use all glass filters, I would, but I am stretched already with the Letus, follow focus, rods, rod mount, lenses, etc.

If money is no object, I would buy glass but if you are on a budget, I think the Cokins should be considered.

Dan
 
Many DPs feel that much of Tiffen's glass has greenish hue to it.

I think the Formatt and Schneiders are pretty great. Not sure, but I don't think B+W makes square filters.

Dan
 
I've seen bad greenish Tiffen Pola's as well as perfectly good ones, but that was a long time ago on both. The greenish ones were awful though.

If you like Cokin, have you looked into Lee Resin filters. I think they are supposed to be better quality and still at a good price point. they also have a similar but perhaps more well made holder & mattebox system which I've never seen.
 
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